Recovery of 112 Bodies in Gaza Revives Pain of Devastating Airstrike
Palestinian authorities announced the recovery of the remains of 112 members of the Hassayneh and Abu Sharia families, nearly three years after they were buried under the rubble of buildings destroyed in an airstrike in Gaza’s Sabra neighborhood on November 22, 2023.
According to official figures, 308 members of the two families were killed when the strikes hit several residential buildings where they had sought shelter. At the time, rescue teams and residents managed to recover and bury about half of the victims, while 153 bodies remained trapped beneath the debris.
After an intensive 17-day search operation carried out by a team of 40 workers, 112 sets of remains were finally recovered and identified through forensic examinations, along with information provided by survivors and relatives.
On Tuesday, survivors and neighbors gathered at the site—now reduced to ruins—where the remains were displayed ahead of a mass funeral described by Palestinian authorities as the largest since the start of the war in Gaza.
“This is a day where grief has returned,” said survivor Taysir Hassayneh. “The wounds have reopened after three years, bringing sorrow back to our children and women. Our only solace is that they are martyrs.”
Another survivor, Omar Hassayneh, who had fled to Egypt days after the attack, said he watched the funeral on television. He lost his wife, four adult children, and four grandchildren in the strike. “They are a part of me,” he said. “Not a day passes without thinking of them. I see them in every moment, even in my dreams.”
Palestinian health authorities estimate that more than 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, with around 8,000 still believed to be buried under rubble.
Civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal explained that identification relied on forensic analysis, personal belongings, and distinctive features. Rescue teams are continuing search efforts, though they stress the need for more heavy equipment to accelerate operations.
The remains were ultimately laid to rest in new graves in a cemetery amid the devastated landscape of Gaza, closing a painful chapter for the families while underscoring the enduring human toll of the conflict.
